he was no longer alone.
The awareness of the warm body next to him filled his mind with memories of everything that happened last night.
Ivy.
The fact that he remembered her name this morning gave him some satisfaction. He felt more like himself, although he still could not recall the Le Loup Solitaire Ivy had spoken about or their first meeting.
She was curled on her side, her head in his lap. Dressed in an oversized black sweatshirt, she seemed so small. Her pale skin, combined with dark shadows under her eyes and in the hollow of her cheeks, made her look fragile. Unwell.
However, he knew for a fact that she was strong enough to survive two months in Ghata’s cage.
Ivy hadn’t just survive, either. She managed to keep her presence of mind and even had the courage to help him break out, too.
He remembered the words Lero told him when Zeph brought a girl from school for dinner once, “Humans are weak.”
There was definitely more to them than physical strength, he thought, wondering what Lero would say if he could see Ivy now.
The sky was tinted grey outside the garage’s door window. Ivy had talked about her plan to catch a ride to Toronto today. Despite his mental ability obviously improving, he still couldn’t come up with a better plan than that.
The car drove away, probably on the street along the river. The sound of another engine starting came shortly after.
He recalled the brightly lit Bed and Breakfast signs he had seen along that street last night. He should go out there to hitch a ride with the tourists departing for the city, but he needed to be careful.
The bracks must have been scouring the area down by the river all night. They might be searching up the stream, too. Ghata must know that Zeph would be able to swim upstream, even up the Niagara Falls if he needed to, to escape her.
Carefully supporting Ivy’s head, he slid from under her, then tucked the blanket and the hunting jacket around her, cautious not to disturb her sleep.
He decided to keep the sweatshirt she had put on him last night because he was less likely to attract attention being fully dressed. Before going outside, he also grabbed the pair of old sneakers by the wall for the same reason. They turned out to be a little small, his toes curled under inside, but they’d do for now.
Out of the garage, Zeph closed the door quietly and headed in the direction of the river, keeping to the shadows in the weak light of the new sunrise.
As soon as he turned into the street running along the river, a white SUV came into view. The vehicle was parked in front of the nearest Bed and Breakfast. A woman was shuffling a few pieces of luggage inside the trunk area.
“Good Morning.” Zeph made an effort to sound friendly and cheerful, forcing a smile. Out of practice, his facial muscles refused to obey smoothly, making him conscious of their every twitch.
Had it always been this difficult to smile?
“Oh!” The woman jumped, startled, nearly hitting her head on the open back door of the SUV. “Morning.” She glanced over her shoulder, her expression turning guarded as she took in his odd outfit and his shaggy hair.
“So sorry.” Zeph turned up his grin, running his hands over his long hair, messed-up during his sleep. He should have smoothed his hair first, before approaching people, he realized belatedly. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s fine.” The woman stepped back, glancing nervously at the door of Bed and Breakfast over her shoulder. “My husband will be here any minute,” she said as a clear warning.
Not a very promising start.
He obviously did not leave a good impression.
“Is he?” He kept smiling, striving for open and friendly. “I’d love to meet him, too. My name is Zeph.” He refrained from offering his hand, afraid to freak her out any further by coming closer. “I’m with a band. We’re here from France.” He lied on a whim, taking into consideration his outfit. “Alternative and folk music.”
That seemed to work.
“Oh really?” Interest flickered on the woman’s face. She appeared to be in her late forties maybe early fifties with only a few lines on her honey-brown skin, her black hair pulled back into a ponytail. “Are you staying here?” she gestured at the Bed and Breakfast behind her.
“No. We’re just a few doors down that way.” He tipped his thumb in the direction of the